• A6 Narrative

Narrative Introduction

Below you will find Draft 1.0 of the narrative that was created by the WCEA-WASC Core Team, temporarily formatted in this Wiki. All comments and edits should be included at the bottom of the document below the narrative. In order to allow for continuity of the document and clarity of revisions, all focus group members should write bulleted notes below the narrative.

Category A: Organization for Student Learning

A6: Reporting Student Progress Criterion

To What Extent...
Does the school administration and staff regularly assess student progress toward accomplishing the school’s expected schoolwide learning results? Does the school administration and staff report student progress to the rest of the school community?

Focus Group Findings

The school leadership and staff regularly assess student progress toward accomplishing the expected school wide learning results and reports student progress to the rest of the school community. The school has continually engaged in a process of Strategic Planning that includes measurable goals and regular reports on progress towards achieving those goals. However, the school continues to struggle with referencing specific ESLRs within progress reports or action plans.

Measurement of the ESLRs
Student understanding of the ESLR's is regularly assessed in a variety of ways in the classroom. Teachers reference ESLRs throughout their courses, lesson planning, and in the Curriculum Mapping Process. This has promoted teachers to reflect upon their course content as it relates to the ESLRs and link course content to individual ESLRs as “standards”. Curriculum Mapping has been an ongoing process since 1998-99 with each teacher mapping one course each year since 2008-09. For the 2011-12 school year, departments are moving to a process of Essential Mapping to identify agreed upon essential skills and content across courses in a department

In addition, schoolwide grade data is shared across departments and teachers to provoke reflection, discussion, and action around improving student performance and achievement. This process of disseminating grade trend data has been in effect since 2008-09 and is used to target professional development needs, curricular changes, and changes in instructional practice as well. The Moreau Catholic community annually recognizes student achievement of the ESLRs through various awards and recognitions.

Students self-report through the semester Course Evaluations and Senior Survey, their achievement of the ESLRs. The school continues to look at way to use achievement data that informs the school community of the degree to which ELSRs are accomplished. Student progress is reported regularly and accurately through the school’s PowerSchool system.

Instruction and assessment is varied, diverse, and meaningful. Teachers use rubrics, self assessment tools, and formative assessment to inform student learning in addition to the traditional quiizzes and tests. Beginning in the fall of 2010, all faculty jointly read Cathy Vatterott’s Rethinking Homework and began discussions around the efficacy of homework practices and policies within each department. This focus was expanding to examine grading and assessment practice in 2011 with a faculty-wide reading of Ken O’Connor’s A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades.

Student progress and achievement of the ESLRs is communicated and celebrated through a variety of media. The quarterly Vector magazine and monthly OnCourse newsletter celebrate standout student achievements as well as transformative experiences of the school’s alumni. Faculty nominate students to be awarded “Student of the Month” for actions or behaviors in alignment with the school’s mission and in living out the ESLRs. The annual Evening of Excellence and Academic Assembly celebrate student’s successful achievement of the ESLRs. The entire school community is invited to attend.
Evidence

  • Strategic Plan
  • Surveys.
  • Powerschool Grades
  • Progress reports
  • Parent emails/phone calls
  • Parent/Teacher conferences


  • Curriculum Mapping

  • Classroom assessments

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  • Power School reports to Dept. heads.
  • Standardized test scores


  • Course Evaluations
  • Senior Survey
  • PowerSchool


  • Diocesan Staff Development Day
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  • Vector
  • On Course
  • Student of the Month
  • Evening of Excellence
  • Academic Assembly


Focus Group Comments

Focus group feels that this topic is covered adequately.
Please insert any comments or edits to the narrative in this space. These comments will be integrated into future versions of the narrative.

May wish to include introduction of ePortfolios being piloted this year with 9th grade English and theology.